Method and device for controlling units in a vehicle according to the level of noise

ABSTRACT

A method and a device as well as a control unit for controlling at least one aggregate in a vehicle, the noise caused by the aggregate and/or at least one variable representing this noise being ascertained. In this connection, the passenger compartment noises in the vehicle are ascertained, or at least one variable representing these is ascertained. The noise caused by the aggregate and/or the variable representing this is correlated with the passenger compartment noises and/or the variable representing these. Finally, as a function of that, the control or a control signal for the aggregate is generated and/or adapted.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The present invention relates to a method and device for controllingaggregates in a vehicle according to the definition of the species inthe independent claims.

The number of aggregates built into vehicles is growing steadily. Theseaggregates emit noises which, in certain operating situations, areperceived as being disturbing and a nuisance by the passengers in thevehicle. In order to tone down these disturbing and irritating noises,the aggregates are controlled by complex methods for the purpose ofreducing the noise.

To do this, in DE 195 48 248 A1 a method and a device for controllingthe pump of an electrohydraulic braking system is proposed. In thisinstance, hydraulic fluid from a pressure accumulator is applied throughvalves into the wheel brake cylinder, the pressure accumulator beingloaded using a pump. The pump is controlled in a performance-regulatedmanner in such a way that charging the pressure accumulator by the pumpis accomplished with as little noise as possible. This is achieved by apulse/pause ratio specifiable according to demand, especially in view ofresonance effects and/or pressure in the pressure accumulator. For this,the pump is operated at a minimally required power depending upon thesituation, in order to avoid the development of loud noise.

DE 44 29 373 A1 shows the control of a further aggregate in a vehicle,an electromagnetic valve, in particular a braking system, which is alsocarried out under the requirement of minimizing the noises that occur.This is achieved in that, during the usual changeover from a first to asecond switching position, in particular in the flow-through direction,in a first phase, the current for operating the valve falls off for apredefined time, according to a certain function, from a first to athird current value, and in a second phase it remains approximatelyconstant, the third current value lying above a second current value,which is used to achieve the second switching position. Here too, acomplex method of limiting the development of noise is shown.

A control serving the same purpose, that is noise reduction, is shown inDE 199 08 992 A1. In this document, in a generator system as theaggregate for an internal combustion engine, noise development of thegenerator is reduced by lowering the excitation current under certaincircumstances. Lowering the excitation current is done with the aid of acontrol element which ascertains the conditions for lowering the currentfrom supplied or stored data, and gives out corresponding controlsignals. In this connection, a role is played by the generatortemperature and the structure-borne noise recorded by means of a sensor.Here too, a very costly method is used to keep the generator's noiseemission low.

It has been shown that the cited related art is not able to obtainoptimal results in every respect. Thus, in spite of costly controlmethods, a loss of portions of the possible operating range ofaggregates contained in the vehicle is created because of the noisereduction measures. And so, a certain loss of performance, caused by thecompromise between the minimum required control, from a technicalfunctioning point of view, and the maximum desired control from a noisetechnology point of view cannot be avoided in the related art.

On the other hand, noises caused by the control of the aggregates arenot perceived as disturbing in some situations, or rather they are notnoticeable because of other noises. But this effect is not considered bythe related art in the control of the aggregates. And yet, the temporaland spectral overriding effects causing this are sufficiently known inpsychoacoustics, and have been well researched. As examples for this,the technical books from Springer-Verlag (publishers), “Psychoacoustics”(1982) and “Electroacousticst”(1984) by E. Zwicker are named. The citedoverriding effects are also described in those books.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Consequently, the object is set of expediently letting noises created bythe controlling of the aggregates, which the passengers of the vehiclecannot deliberately influence, or which have a great potential of beingdisturbing, occur when they are overridden by passenger compartmentnoises of the vehicle, so as not to disturb the passengers. Thepassenger compartment noises can likewise proportionally includeenvironmental noises, travel noises and/or operating noises ofindividual aggregates, other noises like conversation, caused by thepassengers, as well as devices installed in the passenger compartment,such as fans, audio systems or audio components, computers, etc.

The device according to the present invention, as well as the controlunit and method for controlling at least one aggregate in a vehicle, inresponse to which passenger compartment noises appear, have theadvantage that, by using them, the aggregate is controlled as a functionof the occurring passenger compartment noises and/or of at least onevariable representing the passenger compartment noises, that a reductionin the scope of the actually possible function can frequently be avoidedwithout having to do without comfort with respect to noise perception.

That means that expediently in noise ranges or the appropriate operatingranges in which noise development of the individual aggregates in thevehicle can be overridden or masked by the already present, generallydesirable passenger compartment noises, the aggregates can be operatedin full functional and performance scope, without thereby perceptible,additional noise development being created. If the aggregate noise atfull function and performance cannot be overriden, then, if possible,function and performance can be reduced optimally with respect to noise.

Thereby, advantageously, the aggregate or aggregates is/are controlledas a function of the correlation between the noise caused by theaggregate and/or at least one variable representing it and the passengercompartment noises and/or at least one variable representing this, thatis, a control signal is generated as a function of it, or adapted.

Expediently, the correlation is designed as a comparison of the variousnoises or the variables representing them, as the case may be. For this,advantageously overriding effects of the passenger compartment noises orof the variables representing them are then used.

In this connection, in order to be able to use expediently alloverriding effects, spectral and/or temporal data on the noise caused bythe aggregate and on the passenger compartment noises are ascertained,and these are then advantageously correlated. One can thereby use, forexample, post-overriding and/or simultaneous overriding and/or possiblyalso pre-overriding by the passenger compartment noises as an effect.

Advantageously, the passenger compartment noises and the noises causedby the aggregate or the aggregates, as the case may be, are representedby a sound variable such as, for instance sound pressure and/orloudness. Consideration of spectral and/or temporal data succeeds herein each case by the expedient use of a sound variable level or by usinga psychoacoustic variable, such as specific loudness level plottedagainst time and/or frequency.

Besides that, reduction in disturbing noises or noise componentscontributes advantageously to riding safety, in addition to ridingcomfort, because distraction by disturbing noises can at least bediminished, if not totally eliminated.

It is of further advantage, also perhaps for reasons of cost pressure orrising performance requirements, that noise-wise non-optimizedaggregates and their controls can be operated inconspicuously withrespect to noise.

Still more advantages may be noted from the features of the claims andthe specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is subsequently explained in greater detail with referenceto the Figures shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a braking system ofthe general kind, in which various aggregates are controlled. FIG. 2,starting from a drive system, describes a plurality of aggregatesconnected with it but separately controlled. In FIG. 3, in the form of aflow diagram, the general method according to the present invention, forcontrolling at least one aggregate is represented. With regard to this,FIG. 4, consisting of FIGS. 4a and 4 b, shows schematically arepresentation of the overriding of aggregate noises. FIG. 5 describes achronological sequence of passenger compartment noise and aggregatenoise under control according to the present invention. Finally FIG. 6,consisting of FIGS. 6a, 6 b, 6 c and 6 d shows various possibilities ofa device, according to the present invention, for carrying out themethod steps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a braking system, especially an electrohydraulic brakingsystem, in which the brake fluid is applied from an hydraulicaccumulator 103 via valves 116 into wheel braking cylinders 112 through115. The hydraulic accumulator is charged using a means for propellingthe pressure mediun, in the form of a pump 104. If possible, thischarging should take place without perceptible noise development.

In the braking system shown, a brake pedal 100 is illustrated which isconnected to a master brake cylinder 102. By the application of thebrake pedal, pressure can be built up in master brake cylinder 102.Master brake cylinder 102 is in contact with a reservoir 101. Frommaster brake cylinder 102 as well as reservoir 101 lines for thepressure medium lead to braking system 106. Braking system 106 includesvalve means and possible pressure sensing, as well as, in the case of anelectrohydraulic braking system, a possible pedal travel simulator andother components known from the related art, depending on the specificembodiment of the braking system. In one line between reservoir 101 andbraking system 106, the means for conveying the pressure medium isrepresented in the form of pump 104. A driving mechanism for operatingthe pump, for example in the form of an electric motor is shown as 105.Thus, in this exemplary embodiment, an aggregate is generated by pump104 and pump motor 105. Between pump 104 and braking system 106 ahydraulic accumulator 103 is installed. As an example, 116 represents avalve means in the braking system, here between reservoir 101 and wheelbraking cylinder 115. Further valve means of braking system 106 havebeen omitted for reasons of clarity. Braking system 106 is connected towheel braking cylinders 112 through 115 via pressure medium lines.Controlling or regulating the controllable or regulatable components ofthe braking system, especially the motor/pump unit, is represented bycontrol unit 107. The connections leading away from, or to control unit107, having the corresponding actuator technology and/or sensortechnology are shown schematically in bundle of lines 111. Only controllines 108 for pump motor 105, and line 117 of valve 116 as a furtherunit are taken out of this bundle. Further sensor technology external tothe braking system is shown as 109. Element 110 represents furtherpossible control units which are in contact with control unit 107 of thebraking system. Control unit 110 can, for example, also be provided asan additional unit for control as a function of noise. However, themethod according to the present invention can also come to an end incontrol unit 107, it being possible for a passenger compartment sensortechnology for noise detection, for example, to be contained in sensortechnology 109. Thus, for example, variables such as vehicle speedand/or engine speed and/or environmental noises and/or operating noisesof aggregates and/or passenger compartment noises are recorded by sensortechnology 109. However, comparable data can also be polled by othercontrol units 110 and transmitted to control unit 107 of the brakingsystem. As a function of the variables or noises, respectively, thusrecorded, the aggregates of the braking system can now be controlled. Toselect examples, as mentioned before, pump 104 with appertaining pumpmotor 105, controlled via line 108, as well as valve means 116, shown asan example, regulated via line 117.

In this connection, pump motor 105 is controlled in a timed manner. Thepulse/pause ratio PPV, on which the timing of pump 104 or rather pumpmotor 105 is based, can be varied here as a function of the passengercompartment noise and the operating noise of the aggregates or thevariables representing these noises, such as sound variables (soundpressure, sound intensity, etc); here, these are correlated with oneanother. Control of the valve can also be performed as a function ofthis. Principally, such valves are under consideration as arecontrolled, but do not immediately result in an undesired brakingpressure increase or decrease in the driving operation, or all valves ofthe braking system are a possibility if a braking pressure change in theform of an increase or a decrease is desired. When using linear valves,for example, that is, valves which do not have an open and a closedsetting, but in which, for example, any desired opening cross section,and thus any desired flow-through quantity of pressure medium can bepredefined by pulsed or timed control, the control can be performedanalogously to the control of the pump.

In FIG. 2, a drive system for motor vehicles can be recognized, which ismade up of a main drive train 210 and an auxiliary drive train 211, aswell as a common electrical control and supply 212 in the vehicleelectrical system of the motor vehicle. The main drive train includes aninternal combustion engine 213 as the main drive, an auxiliary coupling214 at the output of internal combustion engine 213, a drive coupling215 and a postconnected vehicle transmission 216 whose output shaft isfirmly connected to a drive axle 217 of the motor vehicle. Between drivecoupling 215 and auxiliary coupling 214 in main drive train 210 there isan intermediate transmission 218 which connects main drive train 210with auxiliary drive train 211. In auxiliary drive train 211 there areseveral auxiliary aggregates 219 to be driven, such as a cooling waterpump, an oil pump for lubricating circulation of the motor vehicle, apump for power steering, as well as a compressor for an air conditioningsystem which works while the vehicle is stopped and perhaps when themain drive is turned off. In auxiliary drive train 211 there is also anaggregate in the form of a starter-generator 220 firmly connected tointermediate drive 218, to which an auxiliary aggregate drive 222 iscoupled via a clutch 221. A further internal combustion engine herefunctions as auxiliary aggregate drive 222, whose power output is, forexample, less than half that of internal combustion engine 213 in maindrive train 210. Electrical control and supply 212, via electricallines, is connected, among other things, to auxiliary coupling 214,drive coupling 215, clutch 221, starter-generator 220 and at leastpartially to auxiliary aggregates 219. It is also connected to internalcombustion engine 213 and auxiliary aggregate drive 222 for temperaturesensing. Furthermore, at electrical control and supply 212 in thevehicle electrical system of the motor vehicle, a storage battery 223for electrical storage is connected, as well as further sensortechnology 224, such as a remote control, a gas pedal sensor or aswitching contact in the driver's door of the motor vehicle or passengercompartment sensor technology as well as optional aggregate noise sensortechnology. Optionally, a passenger compartment element such as an audioaggregate or a communications device or a travel guidance system couldbe provided as 200, which already has its own passenger compartmentsensor technology. However, unit 200 could also represent an additionalcontrol unit, which automatically receives sensor signals, among otherthings, via output lines 201 and input lines 202, and controlsindividual aggregates or several aggregates in combination as a functionof noise, that is, as a function of passenger compartment and aggregatenoise or variables representing them.

In the following, the operating manner of the drive system according tothe present invention is now described in greater detail. By controllingthe three couplings 214, 215 and 221, mentioned above, intermediatedrive 218 can be uncoupled completely from auxiliary drive train 211 byopening drive coupling 215 and auxiliary coupling 214 of internalcombustion engine 213 as main drive, on the one hand, and from driveaxle 217 on the other hand. Thereby, and by the above mentionedcouplings, the aggregates can be controlled automatically or in anydesired combination. Thus, via auxiliary aggregate drive 222 and viastarter-generator 220 when clutch 221 is closed, current can not only begenerated, but mechanical output can be produced at auxiliary aggregates219. Thereby is achieved a flexible and optimal-use supply forelectrical and other users.

Many of these aggregates shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 give off undesirednoises, but they do not have to be operated constantly. Above all, theaggregates do not have to be steadily operated in a conditionunfavorable for the sense of hearing or perception. As shown, theaggregates can be controlled as desired, even in combination or singly.However, if one considers safety-relevant controls at a higher priority,special noises which the driver or the vehicle occupants cannotdeliberately influence, or which have a great potential for beingdisturbing, can be controlled in such a way that they preferably occurwhen they are-overridden or masked by the passenger compartment noisesin the vehicle, or that their function or power is controlled in such away that the aggregate noises are just about overridden or masked, sothat the passengers are not disturbed, and thereby no loss of safetyensues. On the other hand, reduction in disturbing noises or noisecomponents contributes to riding safety, in addition to riding comfort,because distraction by disturbing noises can at least be diminished, ifnot totally eliminated.

Furthermore, depending on the design of the vehicles, the above-namedcomponents and/or assemblies and/or engines present in them are denotedgenerally as aggregates.

FIG. 3 shows generally a method for controlling at least one aggregatein the vehicle. As mentioned before, the basis for noise-dependentaggregate control is the stipulation that such aggregate noises, whichthe driver or the vehicle passengers cannot deliberately influenceand/or which have a high potential for disturbance, should expedientlyoccur when they are overridden by passenger compartment noise of thevehicle and/or are controlled in their function and/or power in such away that the aggregate noises are just about overridden, so as not todisturb the vehicle passengers. For this purpose, the start of thegeneral method takes place in block 300. In block 301 there follows theascertainment of the passenger compartment noise or noises and/or theascertainment of the auxiliary variables from which may be derivedpassenger compartment or aggregate noise characteristic values by usingprevious knowledge (e.g. database, knowledge base in expert systems), asthey can later be generated in block 303 and used in block 304. Forthis, on the one hand, existing systems can be used, such as sensortechnology 109 or 224, respectively, that is, for example, a microphone,handsfree equipment of a communications device or other sensortechnology already present in the vehicle, such as the microphone of avehicle PC or one integrated into a high-end audio system in thevehicle. On the other hand, such a sensor technology, for example, inthe form of microphones or structure-borne noise sensors, can bepurposefully retrofitted, e.g. by vibration or resonance. Likewise, inblock 301 the noises of the aggregates or the noise of at least oneaggregate can be recorded with the aid of a sensor. For this, forexample, either a microphone or structure-borne noise sensor technologycan be used. According to a specific embodiment, yet to be explained, ofthe introduced method, in block 301 aggregate noise as well as passengercompartment noise are either both recorded by sensor technology or ineach case one is ascertained, the other being recorded by a sensor, orboth noises are merely ascertained without a sensor being present. Theuse of the concept aggregate noise may mean, either the noise broughtabout by a aggregate with or without appertaining resonance effects dueto structure-borne transmission or the various noises of severalaggregates, or it may mean the summation of noises of many or of all theaggregates. But the noise can also be represented by a variablerepresenting it, such as a sound variable or an air density variable(e.g. air density fluctuations) or, for example, by loudness. The causefor the previously named summation of noises stems from the use of asensor for recording the noises of several aggregates. After thedetection or ascertainment of the noises, these are processed further inblock 302. This happens, for example, during analog noise recording byan analog/digital conversion carried out in block 302. A further workingup of the signals, recorded in 301, in 302 can consist in the fact thatinaudible ranges of the detected or ascertained noises are already beingmasked, whereupon they play no role in the further procedure.

In the following block 303, the signals containing the noise data areworked up with the aid of psychoacoustic signal analysis for thespectral and/or temporal overriding or masking, respectively. In thisconnection, on the one hand, overriding spectra are formed orascertained, and on the other hand, the time of occurrence of theaggregate noise(s) with respect to the passenger compartment noises isset. Thus, in particular, pre-auditory thresholds and/or concurrentlyauditory thresholds and/or post-auditory thresholds can be ascertained,whereby additionally to the simultaneous overriding, that is, thesimultaneous occurrence of disturbing and useful sound, an analysis withrespect to post-overriding and perhaps also pre-overriding (e.g. Withnoises whose time of appearance and/or frequency is already knownbeforehand, if only a very short time beforehand) can be made. For thispurpose, in particular the specific loudnesses are used.

In subsequent block 304 the signals thus worked up are compared to oneanother. Depending on the specific embodiment to be explained below, thepassenger compartment noise thus worked up, or the signal or variabledescribing it, is, for instance, compared to a database with respect tonoise development in the aggregates to be controlled. Besides that, datanecessary for the comparison, such as the spectra of aggregates, canalso be ascertained from the database, if only auxiliary variables areavailable.

Starting from this comparison, the control of each aggregate isdetermined by a decision algorithm. For this, additional data can beused which contain information as to whether the aggregate is alreadyswitched on or not, or how it is being controlled at the moment,respectively, such as by reading in an up-to-date pulse/pause ratio PPVin a pump control, for example.

Based on the decision algorithm in block 305, in block 306 the controlof the aggregate is then generated or adapted. For example, at a highpassenger compartment noise level or the appropriate overriding, anaggregate can already be switched on in the preliminary stages orrather, operated at higher power, without this being perceived by thevehicle passengers as being disturbing. Such an aggregate can be, forinstance, the storage pump in a braking system by which the accumulatoris filled with the pressure medium. It can also be a fuel pump, or theadditional internal combustion engine in FIG. 2, just as it can be theremaining aggregates already mentioned. For the control itself, forexample, a starting pulse, a switch-off signal, or even a specialpulse/pause ratio or a desired performance can be predefined. Followingblock 306, the end of the method is reached in block 307.

The running time from the start of the method in block 300 to the end inblock 307 is predefinable, for example. In that predefinition, pollingtimes for the signals, computing and processing times in the system canplay a role. On the one hand, the method can steadily run or be operatedconcurrently in the background, or it can be switched in only whenaggregates or an aggregate are/is to be controlled. It is alsoconceivable that the passsengers might switch the method in or out.

As has already been indicated, various specific embodiments of themethod are possible. In the first case, only the passenger compartmentnoise is recorded with the aid of sensor technology. Noise data ofindividual aggregates are available from previous experiments and/orsimulations, that is, as a laboratory database. This database can beascertained especially by road experiments and sensor recording of thenoises emitted by the aggregates. That is how the overriding spectra ofthe passenger compartment noises are generated in block 303. Likewise,the temporal analysis is optimally carried out. That is done in thiscase by using the already mentioned additional information as to whetherand how the aggregate is being controlled. Thus, a data comparison ofpassenger compartment noise and the noise database of the at least oneaggregate can be carried out. And finally, the control of the aggregatecan be generated or adapted.

A second possibility is to record the passenger compartment noises andthe noises of the at least one aggregate with the aid of sensortechnology. The noises or the signals or variables describing them canthen be put into relationship with one another. Depending on whether thenoise(s) emitted by the aggregates is/are overridden or masked by thepassenger compartment noises, the aggregates() can then likewise beappropriately controlled.

A further possibility is to record only the passenger compartment noise,and to compare this with databases with respect to passenger compartmentnoise having no disturbing noises. In this case, the database includes aplurality of background noises in the passenger compartment which areactivated, on the one hand by the current passenger compartment noiseand/or, on the other hand, by the information on whether and howpassenger compartment elements such as audio devices or a vehicle PC arebeing operated. If the background noise is identified from the database,the disturbing noises can be filtered out. These can then be assigned tothe aggregate or aggregates and reduced by targeted control.

In addition to the possibilities mentioned, the use of a learning systemis available. Starting from preproduced databases, these are constantlyrevised, during the entire life cycle of the vehicle, or they arereconfigured. Thereby, when the vehicle is used by a limited group ofpersons, a control of the aggregates emitting noise is created that isadjusted to the individual background noise.

In FIG. 4, which consists of FIGS. 4a and 4 b, the matter justdescribed, relative to the overriding, is once more illustratedschematically. Here, noise level L, for instance the sound level or thesound intensity level is plotted against frequency f. A furtherimprovement of the method and the device, respectively, can be achievedif overriding curves as shown schematically in FIG. 4b are used with theadded use of psychoacoustic effects. The psychoacoustic method ofloudness calculation is suitable for ascertaining -overriding curves. Inthis connection, for example, specific loudnesses and their overridingcurves can be ascertained that are comparable to overriding curve IGV inFIG. 4b. These considerations are assumed below when possible ornecessary.

In this spectral illustration as in FIG. 4, RS schematically illustratesan auditory threshold at rest. Here, IG shows, for example, a plot of apassenger compartment's noise level against frequency f. This can becomposed, for example, of tone signals, such as music, which delivers,as is known from the related art, a relatively broadband overriding. Tothis is added the level information, e.g. of the loudness level of themusic, of the individual frequency ranges. In a similar manner, IG caninclude a conversation between two or more persons. Further noisesdelivering a proportion to IG are, for instance, environmental noisesand/or operating noises of the vehicle which, at least proportionally,penetrate the passenger compartment. These can be, for example, wheelrolling noises, noises caused by wind blast, outer influences, such asnoises from a construction site or the like, as well as operating noisesof the main drive train in the vehicle.

In FIG. 4a, in this connection, the operating noise of an aggregate islabeled AG. One can immediately recognize that aggregate noise AG is notoverridden by passenger compartment noise IG or, when looking at levels,is not overlapped. Thereupon the aggregate, naturally underconsideration of safety in the case of safety-relevant aggregates, iscontrolled so that noise development is reduced from AG to AGv. Thediminished noise development of the aggregate AGv is then overridden bypassenger compartment noise IG, and is no longer perceived asdisturbing. As mentioned before, this can occur either by switching offthe aggregate, or by controlling at diminished performance or functionalvolume. A further possibility is avoiding resonance excitations, whichlikewise lead to increased noise emission, by changing the controlfrequency or the pulse/pause ratio, respectively. As mentioned before,aside from considering levels, a further improvement can be achieved if,by previously named measures, the overriding, that is, thepsychoacoustical additional effects, as, for example, in the loudnessare considered. For this purpose, FIG. 4b shows passenger compartmentnoise IG and aggregate noise AG, this time already diminished as AGv.Furthermore, an overriding curve with regard to passenger compartmentnoise IGV is drawn in. At this point, reference is made once more to theintroductory considerations to FIG. 4. It can be recognized that, underconsideration of additional effects, from which overriding curve IGV canbe ascertained, there is the possibility of raising, for example AGvinto the overriding range (AGe). Thereby, for example, controlling theaggregate with higher performance is possible than by considering onlylevel. Because of that, the aggregate then emits noise AGe, for example.

The considerations and methods or method steps employed for oneaggregate can, of course, be used equally for several aggregates,whether these are separately recorded with respect to noise, or asummated noise of several or all aggregates is used as a basis.

In FIG. 5 shows loudness N of the passenger compartment noise, againsttime t, level L, as shown in previous considerations, being alsopossible; IG(t) being shown as a broken line. In this connection,loudness, for example, has already been normalized for steady-statenoises, and takes overriding into consideration. At point in time t3,the normal loudness value of the passenger compartment noise of, forinstance, IG1 brought on by driving noises and/or, for example,conversational noises of the passengers, is increased to IG2 byswitching on a passenger compartment element, such as an audio device.AG(t) illustrates, for example, a periodic noise development. At pointin time t3, a crossing over of the passenger compartment overridingcurve or of loudness IG1 and/or of the noise level is determined. Forsafety reasons, for example, the noise of the aggregate at time t1cannot be pushed at once below the value IG1. At the next control, ifsafety considerations permit, the aggregate is now controlled in such away that the noise created thereby comes to lie below the passengercompartment noise overriding curve, and thus below loudness IG1, at timet2. At time t3 the increase to the value IG2 is ascertained. Because ofthat, at time t4 the aggregate can be controlled with the power allowedfor and the noise emission created thereby. The next control can theneven be increased to the extent that a noise (AG4) is created whichstill lies below noise value IG2. By the reduction of noise IG2, e.g. byreducing the volume of, for instance, the audio device at time t6, noiseAG4 would again be clearly audible in the passenger compartment.Therefore, upon recognition of these noise relationships, control of theaggregates is reduced in such a way that the noise also goes down fasterfrom AG4. For this, for example, a lower background noise, AG3 again,for example, can subsequently be kept up for a longer time. The renewedincrease in noise takes place at time t7, up to a loudness of IG3.

FIG. 6 now shows the use of various modules or aggregates for carryingout the method. FIG. 6a shows the passenger compartment sensortechnology in block 600. Block 601 represents a signal processingaggregate. In the simplest case, this can be, for instance, an ADconverter or it can be a more costly processing, for example, in anautomobile radio, a navigation device, a vehicle PC or a communicationsystem. So this aggregate represents passenger compartment element 607,when the passenger compartment sensor technology has already beenintegrated in processing aggregate 601. Thus, method steps 301, 302 andpossibly also 303, depending on the specific embodiment, are carried outby passenger compartment element 607. However, the override analysis inblock 303 can just as well be carried out in-control unit 604 of theaggregate. As described above in the method, aggregate sensor technology605 can optionally be used to record the noise data of the aggregate tobe controlled.

Noise regulation can be carried out by the illustrated elements 600, 601or 607, as well as 604 and 606, and optionally 605. Since by the use ofthe databases described above, possibly also fuzzy conditions can becreated, a fuzzy controller may be used, for example, for the control.The feedback of the control thus takes place by the noises recordeddepending on each specific embodiment, that is, either passengercompartment noise and/or aggregate noise.

In FIG. 6b, for instance in the case of retrofitting an existing system,additional aggregate 602 is fitted into this arrangement. This mayinclude method steps 303, 304 and 305, and only emits to the controlunit of aggregate 604 the signals necessary for the adaptation and/orformation of the control signal. Optional aggregate sensor technology605 is then connected to additional device 602. However, if theoverriding analysis according to method step 303 can indeed be carriedout in passenger compartment element 907, the additional aggregateprocesses only method steps 304 and 305.

If no such passenger compartment element 607, having the appropriateperformance, is present, as illustrated in FIG. 6c, only a combinationof passenger compartment sensor technology 600 and additional aggregate602 can be inserted. In this connection, an intelligent passengercompartment sensor technology could here also execute the preprocessingaccording to method step 302. FIG. 6c opens the possibility of adding toan existing system made up of control unit 604 and aggregate 606 thenoise-regulated control with the aid of passenger compartment sensortechnology 600 and additional aggregate 602. In this case too,additional aggregate 602 gives out data for adapting and/or generatingcontrol signals for aggregate 606 to control unit 604.

Finally, FIG. 6d offers the possibility in which passenger compartmentsensor technology 600 and, optionally, aggregate sensor technology 603are directly connected to control unit 604. Thus, the entire method, forexample, if already known in the case of first equipment, can beprocessed by the aggregate's control unit 604 on the basis of therecorded noise signals.

FIG. 6, made up of FIGS. 6a, 6 b, 6 c and 6 d shows that, depending onthe described elements being present, the method steps can be executedin different elements. Because of that, functionalities with regard tonoise-dependent control that already exist in the vehicle can be used,since, for example, microphones are available for voice inputs, as wellas digital signal processors for signal processing and similar systems.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for controlling at least one aggregatein a vehicle, comprising the steps of: ascertaining at least one ofnoise caused by the aggregate and at least one variable representing thenoise caused by the aggregate; ascertaining at least one of noise in apassenger compartment of the vehicle and at least one variablerepresenting the noise in the passenger compartment of the vehicle;correlating the at least one of the noise caused by the aggregate andthe at least one variable representing the noise caused by the aggregatewith the at least one of the noise in the passenger compartment and theat least one variable representing the noise in the passengercompartment; and one of generating and adapting a control signal for theaggregate as a function of the correlation so that the noise caused bythe aggregate is one of overridden and partially overridden by the noisein the passenger compartment.
 2. The method according to claim 1,further comprising the step of comparing the at least one of the noisecaused by the aggregate and the at least one variable representing thenoise caused by the aggregate to the at least one of the noise in thepassenger compartment and the at least one variable representing thenoise in the passenger compartment, and the control signal is one ofgenerated and adapted in the one of the generating and the adapting stepas a function of the comparison.
 3. The method according to claim 1,wherein each of the noise caused by the aggregate and the noise in thepassenger compartment are represented by a sound variable.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the noise in thepassenger compartment and the at least one variable representing thenoise in the passenger compartment at least proportionally includes atleast one of environmental noises with respect to the vehicle, operatingnoises of the vehicle, at least one variable representing theenvironmental noises with respect to the vehicle and at least onevariable representing the operating noises of the vehicle.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: one ofascertaining and reading out from a database one of spectral andtemporal data on the noise caused by the aggregate and the noise in thepassenger compartment; and correlating the respective one of spectraland temporal data on the noises.
 6. The method according to claim 5,further comprising the step of generating the one of the spectral andtemporal data as noise level of the noise caused by the aggregate and ofthe passenger compartment noise as a function of one of frequency andtime.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least oneaggregate includes a pump motor.
 8. A device, comprising: a control unitconfigured to control at least one aggregate in a vehicle, the controlunit including a first arrangement configured to ascertain at least oneof noise caused by the aggregate and at least one variable representingthe noise caused by the aggregate, a second arrangement configured toascertain at least one of noise in a passenger compartment of thevehicle and at least one variable representing the noise in thepassenger compartment of the vehicle, and a third arrangement configuredto correlate the at least one of the noise caused by the aggregate andthe at least one variable representing the noise caused by the aggregatewith the at least one of the noise in the passenger compartment and theat least one variable representing the noise in the passengercompartment, wherein a control signal for the aggregate one of generatedand adapted so that the noise caused by the aggregate is one ofoverridden and partially overridden by the noise in the passengercompartment.
 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the at leastone of the noise in the passenger compartment and the at least onevariable representing the noise in the passenger compartment at leastproportionally includes at least one of environmental noises withrespect to the vehicle, operating noises of the vehicle, at least onevariable representing the environmental noises with respect to thevehicle and at least one variable representing the operating noises ofthe vehicle.
 10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the at leastone aggregate includes a pump motor.
 11. A control unit for one ofgenerating and adapting a control signal for at least one aggregate,wherein the control unit one of is connected to and includes a firstarrangement configured to ascertain at least one of noise caused by theaggregate and at least one variable representing the noise caused by theaggregate, and the control unit one of is connected to and includes asecond arrangement configured to ascertain at least one of noise in apassenger compartment of the vehicle and at least one variablerepresenting the noise in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, andthe control unit one of is connected to and includes a third arrangementconfigured to correlate the at least one of the noise caused by theaggregate and the at least one variable representing the noise caused bythe aggregate with the at least one of the noise in the passengercompartment and the at least one variable representing the noise in thepassenger compartment, the control unit one configured to one ofgenerate and adapt the control signal for the aggregate as a function ofthe correlation so that the noise caused by the aggregate is one ofoverridden and partially overridden by the noise in the passengercompartment.
 12. The control unit according to claim 11, wherein the atleast one of the noise in the passenger compartment and the at least onevariable representing the noise in the passenger compartment at leastproportionally includes at least one of environmental noises withrespect to the vehicle, at least one variable representing theenvironmental noises with respect to the vehicle and at least onevariable representing the operating noises of the vehicle.
 13. Thecontrol unit according to claim 11, wherein the at least one aggregateincludes a pump motor.